Commercial simulators, such as flight simulators, are relatively large systems that require a substantial amount of space. A flight simulator, for example, may include a large dome on which imagery is projected, and may include multiple projectors and image generators, which are costly, require a substantial amount of power, and generate a substantial amount of heat, which in turn increases environmental cooling requirements. As an example, one known flight simulator utilizes 25 projectors, requires a dome that is 20 feet in diameter, and utilizes 314 square feet of space. Such size requirements can limit the locations at which the simulator can be used. The use of a dome may also require special focus adjustments to any heads-up display (HUD) apparatus used in the simulator to make the HUD apparatus focus at the distance of the dome, increasing simulator configuration complexity.
Domeless simulators that utilize virtual reality (VR) headgear suffer a number of problems that detract from realism. For example, VR headgear displays imagery at a same focal length irrespective of whether an object depicted in the imagery is close to the participant, such as the cockpit, or far away from the participant, such as things that may be seen out the cockpit window. Moreover, movements of the participant that would naturally be seen by the participant in a non-VR simulation, such as movement of a cockpit control by the participant's hand, are often not depicted in the imagery even though during such movement the user's hand would come within the field-of-view of the participant if the participant were not wearing the VR headgear.